One finalist with a creative, simple idea will walk away with $1,000,000 at the Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest in March, 2012.

It could be a new twist on a family favorite, a variation of a restaurant favorite, or a recipe inspired by ingredients on hand. As finalists created their ideas, they kept these key criteria in mind: taste, appearance, creativity and how it will appeal to families across America.

Creative cooks who entered the contest also made sure their recipes followed additional criteria such as encompassing one of the following categories: Breakfast & Brunches; Dinner Made Easy™; Entertaining Appetizers or Sweet Treats. Recipes needed to use at least two of a list of pre-determined qualifying ingredients.

Here in Wisconsin, four lucky finalists will represent our state. You can find each of their unique entries below.

Terri Rapp
Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Prosciutto-Spinach Spirals

Ingredients:
1 can Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
1 to 2 teaspoons McCormick® Italian Seasoning
1/3 cup garlic-and-herbs spreadable cheese, softened
2 packages (3 oz each) sliced prosciutto
5 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach leaves
1 large shallot, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 jar (14 oz) marinara sauce, warmed

Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray large cookie sheet with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Spray 16x12-inch sheet of waxed paper with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking spray. Unroll pizza dough onto waxed paper; press dough into 16x12-inch rectangle. Sprinkle half of Italian seasoning over dough. Carefully turn dough upside down onto cookie sheet. Remove waxed paper. Reshape dough, if necessary. Sprinkle dough with remaining Italian seasoning. Spread dough evenly with cheese to within 1/2 inch from one long side. Top cheese with prosciutto, spinach and shallot. Starting on 1 long side, roll dough tightly; press seams to seal. Place roll diagonally on cookie sheet, seam side down. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes. Cut diagonally into 1-inch slices. Serve with marinara sauce.

Dawn Logterman
Janesville, WI
Caramelized Onion & Peppered Bacon Flatbread

Ingredients:
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Black Pepper
1/8 teaspoon McCormick® Cayenne Pepper
8 slices thick-sliced bacon
4 cups thinly sliced sweet onion (about 1 lb)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter
1 can Pillsbury® refrigerated thin pizza crust
1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen® organic diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Heat oven to 400°F. Line 15x10-inch pan with sides with aluminum foil. Place cooling rack in pan. In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, combine brown sugar, black pepper and cayenne; shake to combine. Separate bacon slices and place in bag; shake to coat. Place bacon on rack in pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, turning once halfway through baking, or until bacon is browned and thoroughly cooked. Cool completely. Chop bacon; set aside. Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook onions and garlic in butter over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, or until onions are golden brown. Remove from heat; set aside. Spray15x10-inch pan with sides with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Unroll pizza crust dough in pan; press dough to edges of pan. Bake 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Spread onion mixture over partially baked crust; top with drained tomatoes. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses; top with bacon. Bake 7 to 11 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheeses are melted. Remove from oven; sprinkle with basil.

Cheryl Langlois
Jefferson, WI
Marmalade-Glazed Asian Meatball Cups

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Smucker's® Sweet Orange Marmalade
2 tablespoons Chinese plum sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons chili paste
2 cans Pillsbury® Butter Flake refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
24 frozen meatballs, thawed (1/2 ounce each)
1 teaspoon McCormick® Sesame Seed

Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray 24 regular-size muffin cups with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. In small microwavable bowl, microwave marmalade on High 15 to 30 seconds or until melted. Stir in plum sauce and chili paste. Set aside. Remove crescent dough from cans, but do not unroll. Cut each roll into 12 slices. Place 1 slice in bottom of each muffin cup; press 1/2-inch-wide indentation in center of each slice. Place 1 meatball in each cup; top with scant 1 teaspoon marmalade mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seed. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Laurie Benda
Madison, WI
Strawberries & Cream Butter Cake

Ingredients:
1 roll Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 1/4 cups LAND O LAKES® Unsalted or Salted Butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 LAND O LAKES® Eggs
3 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Unbleached Flour
1 can (14 oz) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/3 cup Smucker's® Strawberry Preserves
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 lb fresh strawberries, sliced (2 1/2 cups)

Heat oven to 350°F. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Spray 13x9-inch pan with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Break up cookie dough in pan; press to cover bottom of pan. In large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla until well blended. On low speed, alternately beat in about 1/3 of the flour and 1/2 of the condensed milk, ending with flour addition, until blended. Pour batter over dough in pan, spreading gently to cover. Drop teaspoonfuls preserves onto batter; with knife, swirl preserves into batter. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until edges are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool until slightly warm, about 1 hour. In small bowl, beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Serve warm cake with whipped cream and strawberries. Store covered.